El-Sayeh left his job teaching Islamic studies to school children in March 2019. Having watched Christian satellite TV, he wanted to know more about the truth of Islam and read more of the Bible to compare religions and pray. God touched his heart and guided him on his way to learn about Christ and Christianity. He read Christian books and was secretly baptised in April. Then he began to talk to his wife about the work of Christ in his life, to convince her to follow Jesus like him. But she told his wider family, who insulted and threatened him. Families of converted Christians believe they are honour-bound to kill them for the betrayal of everything the family and local community hold dear. El-Sayeh was forcefully electrocuted to death because he kept his faith till his last breath and refused to renounce it.

IJM wants God to bring justice and closure in the case of its staff lawyer Willie Kimani, client Josephat Mwenda, and trusted taxi driver Joseph Muiruri, who were kidnapped and murdered in 2016. Their bodies were dumped in gun bags in a river. Four police officers and one police informant were charged with their murders, and the informant confessed. 38 witnesses have testified over three years, but only eight remain. The court will sit soon, and the judge will decide whether to admit as evidence a video of a crime scene reconstruction involving the informant. This is a critical moment: the trial has been plagued by adjournments each time the confession evidence was due to be heard. Please pray against health problems, legal issues, witness challenges, or anything which could give reason to adjourn the case again.

The families of suspected IS militants are being held at a number of camps for displaced people in northern Syria. Al-Hol camp houses almost 70,000 people, of whom 11,000 are foreign nationals; 94% are women and children. In these camps there are thousands of terrified orphaned children whose parents supported IS. Most of their home countries don't want them back. Please pray for these lost children of the caliphate, orphans of IS fighters fending for themselves in camps now being bombed in Turkish offensives as the war in Syria reignites. In one camp are three children from London, whose parents joined IS five years ago, and were subsequently killed in the fighting. The children - Amira, Heba and Hamza - are stranded and in danger. They want to come home to a grandmother in England. Ain Issa camp held 12,000 displaced people, including 1,000 foreign women and children. It is now empty of women, according to Save the Children.

Criminal charges against eight leaders of the Sudanese Church of Christ (SCOC) were confirmed on 7 October. They are charged with criminal trespass and illegal possession of church properties. The SCOC is a Nuban denomination experiencing religious and ethnic discrimination. However, a new minister of guidance and religious endowments could change the spiritual atmosphere. He stated recently, ‘Sudan is pluralistic in its thought, culture, ideologies, Islamic religious sects, and even religions.’ He also called for the return of Sudan’s Jewish community. He told the UN that ‘all public order laws are suspended and will be repealed’. These were used against women, especially those from marginalised communities. Sadly, reports emerged on 10 October that public-order police were patrolling Khartoum and harassing individuals. Pray for Sudan’s new multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious nature to be welcomed by police, and for the new policy changes to be applied by all law courts.

At a UN summit on religious freedom, Donald Trump praised President Erdogan. But since 2016 Turkey’s Protestant community of mostly Muslim converts, meeting in 150 Christian fellowships, report an increase of crimes against churches. There have been targeted deportations of senior foreign Christian leaders, many long-term residents. Since the Ottoman era Turkey has recognised Orthodox faiths, but now the interior ministry refuses to allow new patriarchs to be elected. Protestants are refused religious worker visas and are barred from running educational programmes. Forcing out Christians once welcomed in Turkey is part of a systematic attempt to eradicate them. There is now concern for Christian refugees in Turkey: 6,000 to 10,000 Iranians and thousands of Iraqi and Syrian Christians are under threat. Deportation for many could equal a death sentence. Many are demanding that the authorities explain how these Christians are a threat to Turkish society.

A local authority has ordered the demolition of a newly-built church after a month of use, ostensibly for lack of planning permission, even though no other building in the locality had any. Pastor Newton Das bought land for a church in August 2018. To save costs he hired local contractors and had substantial help through congregation volunteers, eager to begin worshipping in a proper church. The vision was fulfilled on 7 August, when 200+ believers attended 'Church of Jesus’ Anointing' at its launch, but by the second week the church was asked to close as they had no planning permission. Discussions were unsuccessful, and a JCB demolished the church boundary wall and building. Other unplanned buildings have been left intact. The congregation have not let hatred towards them shake their confidence or love for God.

On 20 September we prayed for Jolie King, a Cambridge University honours graduate in Middle Eastern studies, and Australian Mark Firkin to be released from a Tehran prison for flying a drone near military installations. On 5 October Australia’s foreign affairs minister said, ‘It is with some enormous relief that I announce that they have been released and returned.’ He said ‘very sensitive’ negotiations with Iran over their release helped ensure they were treated appropriately while detained. Please continue to pray for British-Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who has been in Evin prison, in solitary confinement, serving a ten-year sentence for espionage. She has no contact from family or friends.

The persecuted Iranian Christians belong to what is said to be the fastest-growing church network in the world. The core of their theology is that all roads lead to Jerusalem, which is why they are praying for the salvation of Israel. They feel that it has been prophesied (Jer. 30:7; Zech. 14:2) that in the days approaching Jesus’ return to Jerusalem as King, there will be trouble for the Jewish state. The Persian people (as many Iranians still prefer to be called) blessed Israel in the past. King Cyrus freed the exiles so that they could return to the Land and rebuild the Temple; Queen Esther saved her people from extermination, so that Iranian Christians might stand in the gap for the Jewish people. What Satan has meant for evil, God can turn for good.

After a long shift Amber Guyger, a tired policewoman, parked her car on the wrong floor of her apartment bock and entered Botham Jean’s apartment, where he was sitting and watching TV. Thinking he was an intruder, she shot and killed him. Guyger was white and Brandt was black. It was seen as another American racial injustice in an emotionally charged courtroom. Then Brandt’s brother removed outrage and grief when he stood up and said, ‘I don’t want you to go to jail. If you truly are sorry, I know I can speak for myself - I forgive you. I think giving your life to Christ would be the best thing that Botham would want for you. I love you as a person, and I don’t wish anything bad on you.’ Brandt then asked state district Judge for permission to hug the policewoman. The lengthy, emotional hug caused a hush in the room and went viral. Judge Kemp also gave Guyger a Bible and praised Brandt for his gesture, saying to him, ‘Thank you for the way you modelled Christ’.

In February, Prayer Alert highlighted the National Call to Prayer. In this time of both uncertainty and significance for our nation this is a reminder for Christians to join in prayer across the UK for the UK. Christians in Government believe that Christians can play an important role. This is not about politics, but all about seeking God. The Bible says that we may not know what to do, but our eyes can be on God. In this major time of change, we can commit the UK to God with Psalm 23 as our inspiration, for Jesus to be the Good Shepherd to the UK, to bring comfort and to guide us as a nation. Churches across the UK are invited to partner with the national call to prayer, in particular over the whole period leading up to Brexit, especially the final two weeks. For more information click the ‘More’ button.